WELCOME
TO SCENES OF UNIVERSITY COLLEGE’S REVITALIZATION PROJECT,
AN EFFORT THAT THE UC COMMUNITY ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTED.
THE RENOVATIONS REMAINED A MYSTERY TO MANY MEMBERS
OF THE UC COMMUNITY FOR AN ADDITIONAL YEAR
OR TWO, DUE TO PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS,
BUT IT HAS BEEN WORTH THE WAIT.
If you haven’t yet had a chance to wander the halls of the revitalized UC, join us for a look at some of the highlights, captured beautifully by the cameras of Stef and Ethan, Toronto-area photographers.
The revitalization of the building’s interior is a masterpiece of modernization that complements UC’s original character and Romanesque revival charm. A number of accolades attest to the success of the design, the work of architects John Shnier and Graeme Stewart of Kohn Shnier Architects in collaboration with E.R.A. Architects Inc. The Ontario Association of Architects (OAA) awarded the revitalization its 2022 Design Excellence Award; it was recognized by Canadian Interiors in its annual Best of Canada Design Competition for 2021 and by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) as the 2021 winner of the Peter Stokes Restoration Award in the large scale/team/corporate category; and the University College Library received the Ontario Library Association’s 2021 Architectural and Design Transformation Award.
“This adaptive reuse project is thoughtful, barrier-free and beautiful,” wrote the OAA jury. “It deftly and elegantly deals with the constraints of a heritage building, construction budget, and a challenging site. There is joy in it!”
This joy is evident throughout in the elegant and contemporary details comprising the renovated spaces, including those that are repeated throughout, tying the rooms together. For example, the carpets are Roman Red in a nod to the academy, and there are freestanding consoles designed specifically to ensure that the necessary electrical and mechanical features are unobtrusive.
So, join us on a walk through this lovely National Historic Site. Our first stop is the Clark Reading Room, located in the old West Hall. It is named for legacy alumni Ed (BA 1969 UC) and Fran (BA 1969 UC) Clark, generous College donors who first met as UC undergraduates. Here, the 19th century and the 21st mesh seamlessly. The elegant rose window on the west wall is complemented by the pendant lights similar to the candles of yore, giving the hall a sunny aspect on gloomy days.
"THIS ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECT IS THOUGHTFUL, BARRIER-FREE AND BEAUTIFUL"
The woodwork has been refinished, allowing us to enjoy the decorative medallions adorning the walls. It’s a space that offers students a place to read the newspaper, forge their way through textbooks or write an essay on their laptops. There are comfortable chairs and couches, as well as tables with plugs built into them, perfect for recharging phones and computers.
Although its main function is a reading and studying space for students, it can be reconfigured for lectures or events. A large screen can also be brought into the space, allowing for events taking place elsewhere in the building to be simulcast there.
Across the way stands the library, situated in the East Hall. Peek into any alcove on the main floor and you’ll find contemporary desks outfitted with computer plugs. They mesh nicely with stained glass windows that date back to UC’s first revitalization in 1890 when the College was rebuilt in the wake of a devastating fire.
You’ll see the stacks curving inward as they reach toward the ceiling, consistent with the arch of the windows and perfect for supporting the mezzanine. The catalogue signage built into the entrance to each alcove is a design feature, and the stacks are lit with motion lights, another element you’ll find throughout the revitalized spaces. Don’t miss the Rose Wolfe alcove, named in honour of the late U of T chancellor, a 1939 UC graduate.
The long view of the main floor leads the eye along the central work station to the reference desk, which is accessible to all comers, and on up the arresting spiral staircase to the mezzanine, where you can get up close and personal with the historic stained glass window. The short stacks that rim the mezzanine have ledges that allow students to peruse the books they’ve selected while looking down on the activity below. The study alcoves are outfitted with comfortable chairs that allow for reading – or dozing – under the watchful eye of the building’s gargoyles.
The library’s mezzanine entrance is accessible, one of the main tenets underpinning all of the renovations. Glide up the ramp and move on to the newly added elevator for a ride to the main floor and the Senior Common Room, a place where faculty members can take a break and relax with a cup of coffee or the day’s news.
The sliding door connecting the Senior Common Room to the lobby also allows the space to be used for larger events that spill beyond the confines of the Paul Cadario Conference Centre at Croft Chapter House, just across the way. Croft Chapter House dates back to 1859; it is the one section of UC that survived the building’s devastating 1890 fire. Years ago, it served as a chemistry lab, something visitors would never guess in looking at today’s understated interior.
The Centre is the namesake of generous donor Paul Cadario (BSc 1973 U of T), a proud U of T graduate. Its spacious interior is malleable; it can be configured with theatre-style seating, with tables and chairs, or as a reception space. The entrance is partially hidden behind a large display console curved to align with the outer walls; the screen and wired podium are used for presentations. The striated steel wainscoting serves a dual purpose as a decorative feature and as a drinks rail during receptions.
When visitors to the space look up—and up and up—they see the lovingly restored beams and the clerestory windows around the dome that add to the room’s brightness on sunny days. The chandelier adds another contemporary touch while emphasizing the circular shape of the Centre and improving the room’s acoustics. This much-loved location is ready for another generation to enjoy.
The College’s outdoor space has also undergone a revitalization that makes the beloved quadrangle more welcoming for relaxing on the interior lawn or hosting an outdoor study session. The cloistered walks are as beautiful as ever; from between their arches, you can see a new tower graciAng the façade of the main wing. This tower is actually the exterior of the bay that houses copper cladding with a medieval dart motif that resembles armour in a nod to the building’s long history and its whimsical design. As it ages, the copper will oxidize into green, while at night, lit by LED lighting, it will glow in the dark.
The quadrangle is now formally known as the Clark Quadrangle to honour alumni Ed and Frances Clark, as identified on a low stone wall to the north side of the quad. The Clarks undoubtedly relaxed here during their undergraduate years and generations of students continue to follow suit. With pandemic restrictions largely lifted, UC has been revitalized both by the students once again filling its spaces and by the wonderful renovations made to the building, deftly combining the old with the new to make a lively, lovely, lived-in homage to the university tradition. As Principal Markus Stock said recently, “It embodies what a university is all about: a place where people learn, change and grow.”